ONS: 17 May 2015

by TRG Alerts Admin on May 17, 2015

KEY STORYLINES

AFRICA: Boko Haram Islamists have recaptured the strategic town of Marte in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno.

AMERICAS: Guatemalan citizens jammed onto the capital’s streets to voice anger over corruption that permeates the government, demanding jail time for the guilty and calling for President Otto Perez Molina to resign.

ASIA: A suicide car bomber rammed a European Union vehicle near the main airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing at least three people in the latest attack in the city.

EUROPE: A three-day meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly got underway in Budapest on Saturday, with Russia and anti-terrorism likely to take top slots on the agenda.

MIDDLE EAST: American Special Operations forces mounted a raid, killing Abu Sayyaf, a leader of the Islamic State and about a dozen militant fighters.

TECHNOLOGY: A security researcher who has tweeted about security vulnerabilities had previously taken control of an airplane and caused it to briefly fly sideways, according to an application for a search warrant filed by the FBI.

TOP STORY

Southeast Asia: Migrants continue flee throughout the region

More than 3,000 boat people have been rescued or swum to shore in the past few days.

1,500 migrants have been intercepted by Indonesian authorities, 1,100 by the Malaysians, and 100 have made it to Thailand.

Migrants continue to die on the boats even though authorities have given them aid when redirecting their boats.

The UN refugee agency believes an estimated 25,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshis have taken to boats in the first three months of this year.

Most countries continue to turn the boats away, towing them back to international waters.

Malaysia has arranged meetings with government officials from Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia have agreed to meet to discuss the issue.

Despite international allegations that their persecution of Rohingya Muslims has contributed to the problem, Myanmar has refused to take blame for the migrant situation, or attend a conference on the subject.

Burundi: Seventeen security officials, including five generals, accused in the attempted coup of President Pierre Nkurunziza were charged with an attempt at destabilizing public institutions. (AP)

Nigeria: Boko Haram Islamists have recaptured the strategic town of Marte in the northeastern state of Borno. (AFP)

Nigeria: A girl aged about 12 carried out a suicide attack at a bus station, killing seven people and injuring 31, witnesses said. (AFP)

AMERICAS

Cuba: The country says it will allow the US to repatriate 38 migrants stuck aboard a Coast Guard vessel. (AP)

Guatemala: Citizens jammed onto the capital’s streets to voice anger over corruption that permeates the government, demanding jail time for the guilty and calling for President Otto Perez Molina to resign. (AP)

Peru: The government declared a state of emergency in part of the country after deep cracks caused by heavy rains appeared in a village, terrifying residents. (AFP)

ASIA

Region: Russia has deployed hundreds of troops for drills with its ex-Soviet allies in a show of force as anxiety grows over a surge in fighting in neighboring Afghanistan. (AFP)

Afghanistan: Taliban insurgents abducted 27 people, setting up a road block and pulling them from their vehicles at gunpoint in the latest mass kidnapping in the war-torn country. (AFP)

Afghanistan: A suicide car bomber rammed a European Union vehicle near the main airport in Kabul, killing at least three people in the latest attack in the city. (Reuters)

Nepal: The Red Cross ramped up its appeal for aid to the disaster-hit country, requesting $93 million in assistance after two earthquakes killed nearly 8,500 and left thousands homeless. (AFP)

EUROPE

Region: A three-day meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly got underway in Budapest on Saturday, with Russia and anti-terrorism likely to take top slots on the agenda. (Xinhua)

Macedonia: The opposition is set to lead a major anti-government rally in the troubled Balkan country, which is struggling through a deep political crisis and an outbreak of violence. (AFP)

Turkey: Defense forces shot down a Syrian helicopter after it crossed into the country’s airspace. (AP)

MIDDLE EAST

Egypt: Ousted president Mohamed Morsi faces the death penalty for espionage and jailbreak nearly two years after his overthrow. (AFP)

Syria: At least 48 civilians, including nine children, were killed on Saturday in regime air raids on the province of Idlib. (AFP)

Syria: American Special Operations forces mounted a raid, killing Abu Sayyaf, a leader of the Islamic State and about a dozen militant fighters. (NYT)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

A security researcher who has tweeted about security vulnerabilities had previously taken control of an airplane and caused it to briefly fly sideways, according to an application for a search warrant filed by the FBI. (Wired)